6 Then, while the queen was sitting beside him, the king asked me, “How long will you be gone, and when will you come back?” When I gave him a specific date, he was willing to let me go.
7 I also asked the king, “If it pleases Your Majesty, let me have letters addressed to the governors ⌊of the province⌋ west of the Euphrates River. In the letters tell them to grant me safe conduct until I arrive in Judah.
8 Also, let me have a letter addressed to Asaph, the supervisor of Your Majesty’s forest. In the letter order him to give me wood for the gates of the fortress near the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I’ll move into.” (The king let me have the letters, because God was guiding me.)
9 I went to the governors ⌊of the province⌋ west of the Euphrates River and gave them the king’s letters. (The king had sent army officers and cavalry to be with me.)
10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammon ite servant heard this, they were very upset that someone had come to give the people of Israel so much assistance.
11 I went to Jerusalem and was there for three days.
12 During the night I went out with a few men without telling anyone what my God had inspired me to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I had was the one I was riding.